Echinacea plant named &#39;Secret Passion&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Echinacea  plant named ‘Secret Passion’ characterized by enlarged disc florets forming an anemone-type inflorescence, warm pink ray florets contrasting strongly with the deep flamingo pink disc florets, a low habit with good branching, and excellent vigor.

BOTANICAL DENOMINATION

Echinacea spp.

VARIETY DESIGNATION

‘Secret Passion’

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofEchinacea and given the cultivar name ‘Secret Passion’. Echinacea is inthe family Asteraceae. This new cultivar is a third generation seedingoriginating from a planned breeding program using Echinacea purpurea‘Razzmatazz’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,894) as the seed parent in theoriginal cross and unnamed proprietary, unreleased interspecific hybridsfor the pollen parent. The exact parents of this selection are unknown,unnamed, proprietary plants.

Compared to Echinacea purpurea ‘Razzmatazz’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.13,894), the seed parent in the original breeding line, the new varietyis shorter with more crowns, and with larger, darker pinkinflorescences.

Compared to Echinacea ‘Pink Double Delight’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.18,803), the new cultivar has more crowns, inflorescences with darkerpink discs and that have a stronger contrast between the ray and diskflorets.

This new Echinacea cultivar is distinguished by:

1. enlarged disc florets forming an anemone-type inflorescence,

2. warm pink ray florets contrasting strongly with the deep flamingopink disc florets,

3. a low habit with good branching, and

4. excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation(division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identicalcharacteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by divisionand tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques withterminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that theforegoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and areestablished and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The presentinvention has not been evaluated under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environmentwithout a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a close up of the inflorescences of Echinacea ‘SecretPassion’.

FIG. 2 shows a field row of one-year-old plants in early August inCanby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Echinacea cultivarbased on observations of a 2-year-old specimens growing in the 2-gallonpots outdoors in the nursery in full sun in Canby, Oreg. Canby is inZone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95degrees F. in August to an average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normalrainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year in the trial fields in Canby,Oreg. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:    -   -   Type.—herbaceous perennial.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 4 to 9.        -   Size.—grows to about 74 cm wide and 74 cm tall to top of            inflorescences.        -   Form.—basal clump, with about 30 stems from the base.        -   Vigor.—excellent.        -   Roots.—fibrous, with many downward growing and few laterals,            ivory in color, Yellow White 158D, roots develop easily from            cuttings from the crown.-   Stem (flowering):    -   -   Type.—ascending, with 1 to 2 inflorescences per stem.        -   Size.—to 72 cm tall to a terminal inflorescence and 5 mm            wide at base.        -   Internode length.—5 cm to 12 cm.        -   Surface texture.—strigose.        -   Color.—Yellow Green 144A mottled Greyed Purple N186A and            tinted in sun with Greyed Purple N186C.-   Leaf (basal):    -   -   Type.—simple.        -   Shape.—lanceolate.        -   Arrangement.—basal.        -   Blade size.—grows to 11 cm long and 3 cm wide.        -   Margins.—sparsely serrate.        -   Apex.—acute.        -   Base.—attenuate.        -   Surface texture.—strigose on both sides.        -   Venation.—pinnate, with 3 main veins.        -   Color.—topside, Green N137C, bottom side Yellow Green 147B.        -   Petiole description.—grows to 12.5 cm long and 1.4 mm wide,            glabrous, Yellow Green 146B.-   Leaf (stem):    -   -   Type.—simple.        -   Shape.—lanceolate.        -   Arrangement.—alternate.        -   Blade size.—grows to 12 cm long and 3.5 cm wide.        -   Margins.—entire to sparsely serrate.        -   Apex.—acuminate.        -   Base.—attenuate.        -   Surface texture.—strigose on both sides.        -   Venation.—pinnate, with 3 main veins from the base.        -   Color.—topside, Green 137A, bottom side closest to Yellow            Green 147B.        -   Petiole description.—on lowermost leaves only, clasping,            grows to 10 cm long and 2 mm wide above the clasp, glabrous,            Yellow Green 146C.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—composite on terminal stalked heads.        -   Number of flowering stems from the ground.—about 30.        -   Flowering stem.—grows to 72 cm tall from the base of the            plant to the terminal inflorescence and can grow to 24 cm            long from the top stem leaf to the base of an inflorescence;            branched, with 1 to 2 inflorescences per stem; diameter            growing to 8 mm wide near the inflorescence; strigose;            Yellow Green 144A mottled Greyed Purple N186A.        -   Size.—grows to 10 cm wide and 6 cm deep as disc enlarges.        -   Form.—ray florets held slightly reflexed, mature disc is            conic.        -   Immature inflorescence.—grows to 3 cm wide and 2.2 cm deep,            ray florets held upright and rolled up so only the back            color shows, Yellow 11C with Green Yellow 1A on tip and            tinted Red Purple 63A in the middle, disc color Yellow Green            146B.        -   Ray florets.—without pistil or stamen, about 20 in number,            grow to 55 mm long and 10 mm wide, oblanceolate with the tip            two toothed (each acute), entire margins, base attenuate,            glabrous on both sides; topside Greyed Red 181B changing to            Greyed Purple 185C, bottom side closest to Greyed Purple            185D.        -   Disc.—flat becoming conic, becoming 30 mm deep and 70 mm            wide with maturity, overall color is Red 53D.        -   Disc florets.—about 250 in number, each with 1 pistil and 4            stamen, grow to 32 mm long and 8 mm wide, each with one            persistent, very stiff linear bract (14 mm long with the top            2 mm colored Red 45A on tip then Yellow Green 144A in            middle, then White NN155D on bottom ⅓); showy 4 to 5 lobed            corollas to 24 mm long and 8 mm wide, tubular on the bottom            with the lobes spread out like a fan, glabrous on both            sides, topside color Red 46B, back side color Greyed Purple            185C; pistil 9 mm long, ovary 2.5 mm long, White NN155D,            style 3 to 5 mm long White 155A, 2-branched stigma            spreading, Greyed Purple 187A; stamen 4 mm long, anthers 1.5            mm long and Greyed Purple N186A, filaments 2.5 mm long,            White 155A, very little pollen, Yellow Orange 23B.        -   Phyllaries.—in 4 leafy series, area 3 cm wide and 8 mm deep,            lobes lanceolate in shape, reflexed, grow to 15 mm long and            4 mm wide, Yellow Green 147B, margins strigose, tip acute,            strigose on both sides.        -   Receptacle.—grows to 12 mm wide and 15 mm deep, White 155A.        -   Bloom period.—July through October in Canby, Oreg.        -   Fragrance.—good, floral.        -   Lastingness.—each inflorescence lasts about two weeks in            Canby, Oreg.-   Seeds: 0 to 1 per inflorescence, each 3 mm long and 2.5 mm wide,    oval, Brown 200C    -   -   Fertility.—poor.-   Disease and pests: Echinacea are susceptible to leaf miners, powdery    mildew, bacterial spots, and gray mold. None of these have been    observed on plants grown under commercial conditions in Canby, Oreg.    No resistance is known.

1. A new and distinct Echinacea plant as herein illustrated anddescribed.